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Preaching Patience to Patients, Simply Bad Timing

Cubs hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo, believes that preaching patience to his hitters is what this team needs to succeed. Now, certainly a walk is better than a strike out. Heck, it’s better than just about any kind of out that doesn’t involve a sacrifice for a run. I don’t believe our problem has been getting on base any more than the rest of the league. Our problem has been getting guys around that are already on base. Timely hitting with men in scoring position, that is our problem.

I understand young players like Castro and Barney get on a roll partially because of their talent and partially because opposing pitchers haven’t seen them before and haven’t figured out their weaknesses. I understand preaching patience to the young guns and pushing the philosophy down to A ball to keep the organization’s company line on point for when the young players hit the majors. Thing is…while it may help get one of the youngsters on base once more a game, the problem may just be that Jaramillo is preaching to a bunch of injured, often on the DL players.

He is preaching patience to a bunch of patients.

What good is preaching patience to a bunch of players that can’t stay healthy? What good is it to get guys on base and then not be able to knock in the runs? Who wants to lead the league in men left on base? I’m all for a high OBP. The Cubs are third in the National League in the category. Of course it’s difficult to clear the bases when you’re not getting the hits when the bases have a no-vacancy sign over them. It’s not like we’re not hitting for average. The Cubs are in second place in the NL in AVG, only a handful of points behind the St. Louis Cardinals.

Currently, we are 7.5 games behind said Cardinals. We are getting on base and we are hitting for average. We’re not even striking out as much as you may think. Currently we are in 15th out of 16 teams in the National League in strike outs, only team striking out less than us: the Cardinals (of course).

We aren’t quick to swing at poor pitches overall. We aren’t just taking a quick lap from the dugout to the batter’s box and back again very often. We aren’t having a hard time getting on base.

Patience isn’t our problem. Timing is.

I don’t know if even Jaramillo can teach timing. Patience? Sure. Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. That’s easy. Heck, when you’re batting, patience and ‘wait for it’ calls for the hitter to simply stand there and not get hit by the pitch. As long as it’s not thrown directly at me, even I could do that. Patience is easy. Timing? Timing is hard.

I’d like to hear Jaramillo start talking about timing and figuring out a magical solution to the lack there of.

While the players are injured and taking a round-robin approach to the DL, patience is arguably wearing thin. Patience at the plate isn’t the problem. Patience in the bleachers and in the standings is where the patience is becoming an issue. At the plate, Jaramillo’s forte, timing is the problem.

Time to change the company model to reflect timing as the point of focus in the batter’s box and get away from patience. With all the patients we’ve had lately and all the youngsters getting called up to replace them, now would be the perfect time.

Writing for:

MLB.COMVINE LINE MAGAZINE - The official publication of the Chicago CubsBASEBALL DIGESTCONNECTICUT TIGERS - Class A Short Season Minor League Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers
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